Genome-wide association study identifies high-impact susceptibility loci for HCC in North America.

Background And Aims: Despite the substantial impact of environmental factors, individuals with a family history of liver cancer have an increased risk for HCC. However, genetic factors have not been studied systematically by genome-wide approaches in large numbers of individuals from European descent populations (EDP).

Approach And Results: We conducted a 2-stage genome-wide association study (GWAS) on HCC not affected by HBV infections.

Understanding the genetic basis for cholangiocarcinoma.

Cholangiocarcinoma is associated with several different risk factors, many of which have known genetic associations. Advances in our understanding of the human genome have translated to the development of gene specific and whole genome assays for identifying gene variants and other alterations associated with cancer development. An improved understanding of the inherited genetic variants associated with risk of cholangiocarcinoma has the potential to improve our understanding of the basic biology of cholangiocarcinoma, enhance the performance of risk stratification models for identifying individuals at highest risk for cholangiocarcinoma, and identifying genetic variants associated with predisposition to cholangiocarcinoma in families with multiple affected individuals.

Hepatitis B Screening of At-Risk Immigrants Seen at Primary Care Clinics: A Quality Improvement Project.

Objective: To test an intervention to increase screening for hepatitis B (HBV) in at-risk immigrants in the primary care setting.

Patients And Methods: From a Mayo Clinic primary care panel, we identified approximately 19,000 immigrant patients from 9 high-risk countries/ethnic groups with intermediate or high prevalences of chronic HBV. Eligible patients with no record of prior HBV testing scheduled for primary care visits within the study period spanning October 1, 2017, through October 31, 2018, were identified.

Gallbladder cancer: epidemiology and genetic risk associations.

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a form of hepatobiliary malignancy that develops from the mucosal lining of the gallbladder. The early development of gallbladder cancer is usually asymptomatic and gallbladder cancer has a high propensity to metastatic dissemination, thus most patients are diagnosed at intermediate to advanced stages for which there is no curative treatment. Consequently, gallbladder cancer is highly lethal.